Iowa State Fair

It's August, over 100 degrees and the smell of fry oil is in the air, that can only mean one thing, it's time for the Iowa State Fair!  We don't get to the fair every year, but when we do it's always an experience!  We were able to get out this year, we went this past Saturday.  The weather was actually a bit chilly and it ended up raining, luckily we were out of there by then.  I will be volunteering a few more nights at the Living History Farms booth, where I am interning this summer.

Riding on the bus to the fair!

Meeting Dan Wardel from Iowa Public Television!  Faith loves his show!

 I was so excited to meet up with a friend of mine who I've known since elementary school.  I randomly bump into him every now and then, so getting to see him with previous knowledge of the event was a nice change.  His hobby is making these cool glass animals, Faith and I bought a red pig and a penguin.  He also does some cool coin cutting, which is perfect because I happened to have a few of my one pound coins from Egypt on me, which he will be cutting.  I'll post pictures when I get them back, we had a great conversation.  Whenever we talk we like to reminisce about the slow dance we shared at his Bar Mitzvah!

 We hit up our favorite BBQ joint.  Every single fair trip we stop here, the best barbecue!

 If you go to the fair with my mother there are very few things she demands to see.  One of those things is the big pig.  My mother is obsessed with pig, so getting to see the largest one was something she couldn't miss.  And here he is, weighing in at a record breaking 1335 lbs. is Reggie from Austin, IN!

Then there are rides to ride.  Charlie went on the carousel and was terrified enough that he didn't want to ride anything else.

Of course, Faith ran into people she knows, we can't go anywhere, and I mean anywhere, without her running into at least two people she knows.  This was lucky for me, because she went on a bunch of rides with her friends, Danika and Olivia, so I didn't have to.  I get really motion sick!

Heading back home on the bus!

 Oops, I almost forget the ever popular butter sculptures!  This year was a Snow White theme.

 And of course every year there is a butter cow.  Iowa State Fair's claim to fame!

All in all, the day was fun.  The kids had a blast and passed out right after their baths, so I was happy.  The fair is an experience not to be missed, especially if you have great concert tickets at the Grand Stand!  This year I did not, but in past years I have seen Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley  and Rascal Flatts.